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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

How To Shape Your Eyebrows

I was planning on doing this post for a long time. Now it's finally here. Just to let you know: this is how I do it. That doesn't mean this is the only or the right way or that you should do it this way as well. :)

These are my must-have eyebrow products/tools:

* Old mascara brush - When you're planning on throuwing out your old mascara, don't! Clean the brush and use it for grooming your eyebrows.

* Tweezers - It's really important to invest in a good pair of tweezers. I have Tweezerman and Solingen tweezers. Tweezerman tweezers worked perfectly good at first, but now they've gotten dull and need to be sharpened. Tweezerman company will do that for free, but it would cost a ridiculous amount of money to ship these to US and back. You can sharpen the tweezers yourself (if you're into DIY) by using sandpaper. Still, I swear by Solingen ones.

* Cosmetic scissors - Some parts of the brows don't need plucking, they just need shortening. That's when the scissors come in handy.

* Angled brush & eyeshadow - Some people use pencils, some use special brow kits, I use a simple eyeshadow and taklon liner brush (from Coastal Scents). Eyeshadow will make your eyebrows look natural and perfectly shaped, without the strong edges. You don't need to draw them with your pencil. Well, unless you over-plucked. ;) Pencils tend to make your eyebrows look unnatural. It's also harder to find the right shade for your brows, since there aren't so many eyebrow pencil shades as there are eyeshadow shades. I use taupe brown shades and my favorite shade is actually purple in the pot. It's by Wild & Crazy (shade Ocean in Mood). When applied it looks taupe with cool undertone. Perfect for me.

* Brow gel - When you have unruly eyebrows like I do, you're gonna need something to tame them. I use Essence Lash & Brow gel mascara. It rocks!

***

Let me show you the diagram I normally follow. I did this one myself, using my drawing of Natalia Vodianova - just because she doesn't have ''the perfect'' brows the other diagrams usually show. This diagram should only be a guide, not a rule. We all have different faces, different natural shape of eyebrows... You have to be careful when using this diagram, some noses are wide and some are narrow.

So, let's get started. These are my natural eyebrows. The diagram shows you where I cut, where I pluck and where I thread. I might even use an eyebrow shaver every now and then. The choice is all yours.

This might be the most important step when you're doing your eyebrows - fill them in! Use an eyeshadow and a brush and do your brows as you normally would. That will prevent you from over-plucking and from the horror of creating sperm brows. And also remember to follow your natural eyebrow shape. We can't all have brows like Megan Fox, right? Oh, and another tip: don't use magnifying mirror. There's a danger of over-plucking if you do.

I can't really explain the technique of threading, so I advise you to look it up (YouTube is very helpful). I hope we all know how the plucking looks like... and this is how I cut the hair that doesn't need plucking. First I use my mascara brush and comb the hair upwards. I cut the hair above the drawn line. Be careful not to cut too much or you might get bald spots in your brows. Yeah, I'm guilty... Do as I say, not as I do. :D

This is what my brows look after I spend a good amount of time plucking, threading, cutting, shaving... and I still see some hair that shouldn't be where they are.

13 comments:

Get outta here! I never heard of threading 'till this post! Thanks a lot for that! Now, all I got to do is practice it. By the way, I noticed it before, whenever you post an eye make up photo, how perfect your brows are. I just wanted to let you know. They distract me from looking the make up, I just stare at those eyebrows and wonder if that's photoshop, haha. :)Now I know it isn't...

I've read a lot of 'how to's on brows, but this is the best so far. Thank you for this post, it's tons helpful, for me particularly on the first part of the brow (that needs cutting, I always plucked it till now, you can imagine how it looked like) and brow gel has just became my number 1 on "must buy" list, plus, I've always tried to fill my brows with pencils, which ended up very artificial and always the wrong colour, now I'm on a lookout for an eyeshadow. Basically simple tips, but quite revolutionary for me. :))

@Schmut: I thread the part with the finer hair, which isn't as noticeable and would take an eternity to pluck. I don't like to thread where I pluck, so I don't accidently over thread. I'm not that good with a thread, so... why take a chance in loosing my brows. =D

I have to use a magnifying mirror to do my brows. Otherwise I couldn't see them! you do a beautiful job with your brow. I have bald spots which I hate. I let my brows grow out so I don't have to pluck as much anymore. If I cut my brows too much I look weird.

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